Process for stabilizing solutions containing ascorbic acid and the products thereof



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRGCESS FOR STABILIZING SOLUTION i CONTAINING ASCORBIC ACID AND THE PRODUCTS THEREOF William H. Engels and John Weijlard, Rahway,

and Remsen T. Schenck, Millington, N. J., assignors to Merck & Co. Inc., Rahway, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey N Drawing. Application November 10, 1936, Serial No. 110,112

3 Claims. (Cl. 99-11) This invention relates to processes and prepaerally satisfactory results are obtained with acarationsintended for the stabilization of ascorbic cia and casein in aqueous solutions. Perhaps the acid. most efiicient of all is casein as it exists naturally It has been known that ascorbic acid readily in raw milk. I 5 decomposes in most solutions andmore especially The decomposition of ascorbic acid in solutions, 5

in solutions containing water, and that such deat high temperatures, is either entirely or very composition is greatly accelerated. progressively substantially inhibited by the practice of our as temperatures applied to the solutions are ininvention. For example, if it is desired to precreased. It has, in fact, been established, that pare a solution of about 4 mgms. of ascorbic acid ascorbic acid, in aqueous solutions of about the in. 100 c. c. of Water, it will be found that the 10 strength of 4 mgms. of the acid per 100 cc. ofv addition of an organic colloid of the types indi- Water, will be entirely decomposed after boiling cated will prevent or retard such decomposition for even so short a period as about three minutes. of the acid even when the solution is boiled for as This greatly limits the adaptability of ascorbic long as from 3 to 10 minutes. Thus, in such a acid to the preparation of foods, medicines, and solution containing about 3% of acacia, the loss, pharmaceutical preparations which contain asof ascorbic acid after boiling will be found to be corbic acid or in which it is desired to incorporate less than 10%. Under similar conditions, such a substantial quantities of that acid. solution containing 3% of blood albumin shows We have now found that the deterioration of a loss of only about 5%, while a solution containthe vitamin can be prevented, or at least greatly ing raw milk shows even a lower loss. The quailretarded, by the addition of a small quantity of a tity of the organic colloid to be added may obviwater-soluble organic colloid. When the ascorbic ously be varied to meet any given requirements. acid is to be added to aqueous food and medicinal The particular stabilizing agent to be employed mixtures, the stabilizing agents of the type hereshould be selected in accordance with the nature in contemplated are generally not objectionable of the solution containing ascorbic acid or to for internal administration because many of which the acid is to be added. As an example, it these are in themselves very generally used as may be said that acacia will be found very satisingredients in food and pharmaceutical mixtures, factory for addition to fruit juices, while in the and their use, therefore, does not involve the emcase of broths and other foods of protein origin, n ployment of ingredients which could be considgelatin or blood albumin will be found preferable. ered as wholly foreign to such mixtures. Thus In the case of hot beverages such as hot chocolate, for the special purposes of the instant applicaetc., the addition of a raw-milk solution of the omf the P eparation of foods and the like, it is acid will be found highly satisfactory and condesirable to avoid such foreign materials as chemantoxidants for instance- It will be seen that the method of incorporatgeneral nature of the e e PE ing ascorbic acid thus protected against deterioherem Involved P be more defimtely'mdlcated ration in solution by any of the named and related y the eriumemtlon of some of the i colloids will also lend itself to practical utilization j 222E3 t: 5 ig i i ff izg z i s in the case of solutions and preparations which g are to be subjected to pasteurization.

bumin, raw milk, starch, acacia, etc., eit r individually or in mixtures with one anothe g he illustrationsherem presented are preferred ably in aqueous solution. It will be understood, .embodiments'of the application 9 the principle f course that although each e Class of mag of the invention and are obviously susceptible of terials mentioned has been found to be suitable ,fionsiderable variation m selection and p 45 for inhibiting or retarding the decompositio of bination of different available colloiids in the the acid at temperatures considerably above normodification of the relative quantities and the ma], the degree of such protection, which they choice "of material to be fortified with the stabiindividually afford, Varies somewhat as to-tlie lized acid, without departing from the spirit and colloids employed. The mostejfective and genscope of theinvention. 50'

We claim as our invention: 3. The method of inhibiting the decomposition 1. Foodstufls fortified with ascorbic acid staof ascorbic acid in solution which comprises stabilized by a water-soluble colloid of the group bilizing the same by means of a water-soluble consisting of albumen, blood albumin, acacia. colloid. 5 casein, raw milk, gelatin and starch. WILLIAM H. ENGEIS. 5

2. Solutions of ascorbic acid stabilized by JOHN WEIJLARD. water-soluble, edible colloids. REMSEN T. SCHENCK. 

